Bold community focus praised by council leader

Barking and Dagenham Council's leader Darren Rodwell hailed the new history and heritage edition of BOLD magazine at its launch event on 12 October, for its focus on community within the borough.

Image courtesy of Baz Seal

The ninth edition of BOLD magazine looks at the cultural heritage of the east London borough: including its communities, historic buildings and people and movements which have defined its past – and explores how these traditions and legacies will shape its future.

Rodwell said: "We normally have one BOLD; we took the bold step to do two a year, and one was to actually concentrate on community; that is what this magazine has done today.

"This magazine is about our people; it's telling you a bit about us, and the stuff that we put up with, respect and want you to understand about us. Because if you don't understand us, we can't do business".

Held at arts venue The Boathouse in Barking's Ice House Quarter on the Roding Riverside, 113 delegates were in attendance, including members of the council, developers and creative industry representatives, who came to hear about ongoing opportunities for investment, as well as community and charity initiatives.

Max Farrells, managing director of architects and urban developers Farrells, spoke about a new plan involving the heavily congested A13 road that runs through Barking and Dagenham: "We all know about Barking Riverside; there are new plans to put two kilometres of the A13 into a tunnel, and building new communities around and over it.

"With new development comes new opportunity for placemaking. If we are going to put the A13 into a tunnel, then we can have new north-south connections."

One of Britain's most renowned living photographers David Bailey CBE and West Ham captain Mark Noble were among the speakers on the night. Noble spoke about the Legacy Foundation, a regeneration housing charity he set up with Brighton footballer Bobby Zamora and retired Manchester United and England player Rio Ferdinand, to create social and privately rentable housing with safe community facilities, backed by private investors.

"Kids have nowhere to play sport anymore, so what our idea was to create communities with housing, where people like us who grew up on council estates have got somewhere safe to play. Five-a-side football pitches, basketball courts, leisure centres, we will put on-site facilities where people can learn computers and youngsters can be out and enjoying sport with each other".

The event was sponsored by Vicarage Field, Estates & Agency and Rooff.